These are some quotes from a good old book by Henry Cooke, John Edgar, Thomas Houston, the title of which I forget, and by many other authors. I threw in some of my own shorts thoughts on the subjects.

“How high the responsibility resting upon those who take upon themselves to frame and establish a Church’s songs of devotion” -Cooke, Edgar, Houston

“…the matter of her [Churches] praise should not be liable to fluctuate and change with the fickle movements of public sentiment and the vacillations which ever mark the tastes of human society. Her faith is one (Eph. 4:5) her songs should also be ever the same” -Cooke, Edgar, Houston

“There are to be found in the psalms, heartfelt confession of sin in its guilt, defilement and power (51, 19, 32, 130), most earnest supplication for pardon (30), these prayers addressed to God as a mericiful God and in dependence upon the “blood of sprinkling” (51, 32), a deep and abiding sense of the absolute need of divine teaching an of the help of the Psirit of Christ (30, 51, 139), ardent spiritual desires an affections (43, 44, 63, 73, 119), strong faith sometimes co clicking with remaining unbelief (3, 4), gratitude and thanksgiving on almost every page, hopes of heavenly blessing (16, 73), deep interest in the welfare of the Church, brethren, friends mankind (122, 35, 95, 96, 119), the duty and the happy results of Christian unity (122, 133), happy anticipations of the Church’s millennial glory an peace, extension an prosperity (72, 96), adoring praise everywhere throughout the psalms rising to the loftiest strains (149, 150), high esteem of the word of God and devout recognition of His law in its extent, purity, spirituality and obligation (19, 25, 199)” -Cooke, Edgar, Houston

“There are 25 reference of the word “spiritual ” in the New Testament and every single one has reference to the Holy Spirit; thus making the spiritual songs of Ephesians and Colossians inspired, having originated in the Spirit of God Himself.” -Argin

“If the spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to the believers (Romans 1:11, 1 Corinthians 12, 14, 15, etc), why then are not the spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19) given by the spirit and have now a reference to “fleshly inventions” of music”? Not only do modern day advocates of man made hymnody deny this simple word study of “spiritual” but they translate the phrase “spiritual songs” in Ephesians and Colossians in exactly the opposite way of the use in Scripture, viz, “fleshly songs” meaning songs made by men. -Argin

“The praying of Psalms in the closet, the singing of them in worship and the preaching of them from the pulpit will increase the growing experience of sanctification in our lives” -Argin

[On the imprecatory Psalms] “Philosophy agrees with Christianity, that the specific purpose of punishment is retribution, I. E the welfare of the individual is to be disturbed in the same measure as he has disturbed or infringed upon the law of God or the state.” -Tholuck

The Psalms are to be used for both Testaments and contain “heroically magnanimity, exquisite justice, grave moderation, exact wisdom, repentance unfeigned, unwearied patience, the mysteries of God, the sufferings of Christ, the terrors of wrath, the comfort of grace, the works of Providence, and the days of coming joy on the Earth” -Cooke, Edgar, Houston

The Psalms are “all intended to be used in public worship” -J.W Alexander

“The psalms have ever since the first century formed an essential part of Christian worship” -Tholuck

The Psalms are “the hymn book for all times” -Herder

“Another thing God did toward this work, at that time was his inspiring David to show forth Christ and his redemption, in divine songs, which should be for the use of the church in public worship throughout all ages” -J. Edwards

“The absence of divine appointment amounts in all cases to a prohibition” -Dodd

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